Gadsden State to host groundbreaking ceremonies

23 July, 2018

Gadsden State Community College is hosting groundbreaking ceremonies for construction projects taking place on three of its campuses. The projects are being funded by a $25 million bond issue approved by the Alabama Community College System in March 2017.

“We are excited about the new construction and renovation projects, which are aligned with Gadsden State’s strategic plan,” said Dr. Martha Lavender, president of Gadsden State. “The projects address the College’s infrastructure needs of aging facilities so that our students have a comfortable environment conducive to learning.”

There will be two groundbreaking ceremonies on July 26. The first one will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Ayers Campus, where an addition to the Cheaha Career Center is being constructed.

The second ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. at the East Broad Campus on the corner of Wallace Drive and East Cardinal Drive. The groundbreaking is for the construction of a new science building and the renovations at Allen Hall on the Wallace Drive Campus.

“The addition to the Cheaha Career Center addresses the need for additional general education classes that support our technical and transfer programs,” Lavender said. “We are adding eight classrooms, six offices and a 140-seat lecture hall that will double as a tornado shelter.”

The new science building will replace the 51-year-old Browder Hall, which is located on the Wallace Drive Campus. Browder Hall has space and technology limitations.

“The new building will have over 57,000-square-feet of classrooms, laboratories, offices, an auditorium and a tornado shelter,” she said. “In addition, the science building essentially unifies the Wallace Drive and East Broad campuses.”

Renovations to Allen Hall, the oldest building on the Wallace Drive Campus, include upgrading bathrooms, electrical plumbing and heating/cooling systems. It will serve students in 22 classrooms and labs and two student gathering areas. There will also be 42 offices and three reception areas.

She estimated the completion timeline for all three projects to be the summer of 2019. The buildings should be placed in service before the start of the fall semester 2019.

“At Gadsden State, we focus on the 3 I’s – instruction, infrastructure and institution,” Lavender said. “Our priorities are not only quality educational programming but also continuous improvement. The construction projects are just one way we continue to improve the educational experience for our students.”

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters are encouraged to attend the groundbreaking ceremonies. For more information, contact Jackie Brehm Edmondson, director of public relations and marketing, at jedmondson@gadsdenstate.edu or 256-549-8224.